And to understand just why that is, we’re going to have to give you a brief history lesson first. However, once put into context, this artifact becomes extraordinary, and gives us new insight into one of the most unlikely creative collaborations in video game history. Here it is – SimCity on the NES! This video condenses about three hours of standard gameplay, and takes advantage of a glitch that gives the player nearly unlimited money.Īt a glance, the game doesn’t look like much more than an inferior version of the SimCity we saw on the Super Nintendo. Either way, the game was seen as something of a Holy Grail among collectors and archivists alike, and the odds of ever seeing it outside of a handful of published screenshots seemed slim, until a cartridge containing an unfinished version of the game materialized at 2017’s Portland Retro Gaming Expo. This version of the game was thought to be completely lost or, at best, confined to some deep dark archive inside of Nintendo’s offices. It made a brief appearance at the Winter Consumer Electronics Show in 1991, but was canceled soon after, and was never seen again. This version of the game was announced at the same time as its 16-bit cousin, and was said to contain all of its same features. But did you know that Nintendo’s version of SimCity actually started life on the original 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System? The cartridge launched alongside the system here in the United States, and brought the popular PC game to a brand new console audience. And that's a real shame, since her early Super Nintendo soundtracks, like Pilotwings and Super Mario Kart, really helped define the distinct qualities of the Super Nintendo's sound chip.īut why keep blathering on when you can listen for yourselves? So put some headphones on, sit back, and enjoy one of the more unsung soundtracks on the Super Nintendo-along with a few other surprises.The unreleased packaging illustration from SimCity, as seen on a rare retail display sign from VidPro.Ī lot of you are probably aware of Nintendo’s remarkable rendition of SimCity for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. But the most impressive addition to this version of SimCity comes in the form of Soyo Oka's soothing, non-intrusive soundtrack.Įven though she worked for the company for nearly a decade, Soyo Oka isn't one of Nintendo's most well-known composers. The SNES port drops this former PC game into the world of 16-bit production values, turning Wright into a green-haired cartoon character, as well as throwing Mario and Bowser into a setting very unlike the Mushroom Kingdom. ![]() But SNES SimCity remains the most memorable version of Will Wright's groundbreaking, genre-defining game, if only for the veneer of "Nintendo-ness" it paints over a relatively dry experience. After decades of sequels, this first installment feels shockingly primitive, and steering a pokey cursor around with a d-pad doesn't make for a great mouse substitute. Truthfully, this Super Nintendo port probably isn't the best way to play SimCity. Sure, there were upgrades of classic 8-bit games like Super Mario World, but the Super Nintendo's first year also gave us a flight simulator (Pilotwings), a (kinda) 3D racer (F-Zero), and the city building sim that's the subject of this very episode. Sega's console made waves by bringing arcade-style experiences home-an impressive feat back in the early '90s-but the always different Nintendo decided to take an alternate route. While the Genesis had a few years on Nintendo's 16-bit machine, the SNES managed to succeed by delivering more than the expected. Without a doubt, SimCity stood as a pretty big feather in the Super Nintendo's cap-no, not the Super Mario World kind. ![]() ![]() Some content, such as this article, has been migrated to VG247 for posterity after USgamer's closure - but it has not been edited or further vetted by the VG247 team. This article first appeared on USgamer, a partner publication of VG247.
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